Community leaders gather to celebrate FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine’s inaugural class at Sapphire Celebration

WHAT: FIU’s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine will honor its inaugural class of 33 medical students, who will graduate later this month, during the Sapphire Celebration. The event will bring together more than 500 medical, business, philanthropic and civic leaders from the South Florida community, who supported the creation of the medical school at FIU and who continue to support the medical school’s mission today.

 WHO:  Journalist Soledad O’Brien will serve as the emcee for the celebratory event co-chaired by Gloria Sesana and Debbie Tano.

The medical school will present awards based on medical, community-focused and educational efforts. The honorees are:

• Dr. Herbert Wertheim Global Medical Leadership Award recipient: Henry Rodriguez, director of the Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research at the National Cancer Institute and senior scientific officer at the National Institutes of Health
• Ambassador Steven & Dorothea Green Community Leadership Award recipient:Jackson Health System
• Benjamin Leon, Jr. Founding Dean’s Award recipient: Dr. Gerard A. Kaiser, former chief medical officer for Jackson Health System and former professor and chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery for the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

 WHEN:  Saturday, April 13, 2013
7 p.m. reception and silent auction
8 p.m. dinner and awards ceremony

 WHERE: Legends Ballroom in the Doral Golf Resort & Spa Miami – a Trump Managed Resort, 4400 Northwest 87^th Avenue, Miami, FL.

 Sponsors:

• Principal Sponsor: Meredyth Anne Dasburg Foundation
• Presenting Sponsors: Dr. Albert Tano and Debbie Tano; and Dr. Jorge Perez and Kerry Perez